Activision/Bandai NamcoOf all the developers you might expect to try their hand at a battle royale one day, I can’t imagine Dark Souls studio From Software were at the top of anyone’s list.
Yet as it turns out, From Software President Hidetaka Miyazaki has revealed to The Telegraph that the team is actually very interested in the current battle royale craze, and the idea of (groan) “games as service” such as Destiny and Anthem.
SonyMiyazaki told the paper:
There’s always the possibility. These games are definitely fun. And we’re interested in the patterns they are taking. If we did it, it might be a bit different! But we’re definitely interested and there’s definitely that possibility in the future. We’d love to take a crack at them some day.
From Software became a deeply respected and influential developer for its work on Demons Souls, which was soon followed by Dark Souls and Bloodborne. These ultra challenging games with their interconnected worlds and imposing bosses have gone on to inspire scores of modern releases, including Breath of The Wild, Dead Cells, and Nioh.
While the phrase battle royale tends to make most gamers groan a little these days, I’ve no doubt that a studio of From Software’s caliber wouldn’t approach the genre unless it had a genuinely fresh and exciting idea to bring to the table.
Miyazaki did stress that doesn’t mean From is done with single player, however:
Single-player action games don’t feel too rare in the current climate. While Devil May Cry 5 has some online elements, it’s coming out two weeks before our game. And that’s a very single-player focussed experience. We’ve also had God of War and Spider-Man. Regardless of what From Software is doing, we need people making battle royale games and live services and we need people making single-player focussed experiences. We feel that this diversity is what will keep everyone going.
Activision In other From Software news, the studio is currently gearing up to release its latest title. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 22.
I recently got to go hands on with the game at a preview event in London, and came away mighty impressed with what I played.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.